DON’T BE FOOLED BY A ‘WIDE’ FAIRWAY
P
inehurst No 2 can play tricks on your eyes. It might look like you’ve got tons of room to park
your tee shot ( left ), only to find it kept rolling through the fairway and was swallowed by some wiregrass. Firm fairways mean less friction to stop the ball, so you can’t just swing away. You need to figure out both the direction and distance your ball can safely go to stop in a good lie. Identify any trouble spots and visualise your shot in relation to avoiding those spots. Then, select the optimal distance and direction for your tee shot and pick something just in front of your ball to help line you up. (Note: It’s against the rules to place something down as an intermediate target, so be sure to pick something already lying there, like a spot of dead grass.) Remember to aim your club at the target just in front of you before you set your feet, and give that target one last glance before pulling the trigger. Why? Looking further down the fairway can conjure negative thoughts such as, Don’t go left or I have to carry a hazard. Focusing on the intermediate target helps clear your mind. Also, overestimate, even double, the amount of curve you see. Remember, when the ball hits the ground, it will roll in that direction even more. With all of that said, there will be some instances when you actually want the ball to keep rolling and rolling. A draw with a driver or 3-wood usually gets the ball tumbling down the fairway much better than a fade. To create this shot shape, practice from a narrow stance, making slow half swings with the intent of rolling your right forearm over your left through impact ( left ). This rotation closes the clubface in relation to your swing path and helps produce the draw. Eventually, get back to your normal stance and try to recreate this feel when you hit tee shots. The result should be a nice, sweeping draw that bowls the ball down a firm fairway. Come visit us at Pinehurst to put this and the other shots you learned through their paces. Bet you walk off 18 more satisfied than if you tried to play here with your usual game.
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